Russiau

Traveling to Russia and beyond

  • ABOUT ME
  • RUSSIA GUIDE (PDF)
  • GUIDED TOURS
  • Visa support (PDF)
  • 1. Visa
    • 1.1. Russian visa in Australia, USA and Canada
      • Australia
      • Visa free to Russia
      • Russian visa abroad
      • Transit visa
      • Russian Consulates and Visa Centers
      • Russian visa invitation
      • USA
      • Canada
    • 1.2. Russian visa in China, Japan and India
      • Russian visa abroad
      • Russian visa invitation
      • Russian Consulates and Visa Centers
      • Visa free to Russia
      • China
      • Transit visa
    • 1.3. Russian visa in European countries
      • Russian visa abroad
      • Russian visa invitation
      • Russian Consulates and Visa Centers
      • Visa free to Russia
      • The Netherlands
      • Sweden
      • Norway
      • Lithuania
      • Latvia
      • Finland
      • Estonia
      • Denmark
      • Czechia
      • Transit visa
    • 1.4. Registration and immigration
      • Registration in Russia: What it is and how it is done
      • Russian airports: Immigration card and customs formalities
    • 1.5. Visa to China and post-Soviet states
      • How to travel to Belarus without a visa (visa-free) and with visa
      • How to obtain a Chinese Visa in an easy and cost-effective way
      • How to apply for the electronic visa to Uzbekistan (e-Visa)
      • How to Get a Chinese Visa Online
  • 2. Transport
    • 2.1. Arriving by plane
      • How to go from Pulkovo Airport to St. Petersburg
      • How to go from the airport to the center of Moscow or the Red Square
      • How to find the cheapest flights to Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • Russian airports: Immigration card and customs formalities
    • 2.2. Russian trains
      • Trains in Russia: How to buy tickets on-line without the middle-man
      • Traveling between Moscow and St. Petersburg: Which is the best way?
      • Train stations in Russia: luggage storage, Wi-Fi and other services
    • 2.3. Metro, bus and taxi
      • How to use the Moscow Metro and what stations to visit
      • Moscow’s Troika Card: paying all public transport costs with a card
      • How to catch a taxi in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, or in other Russian cities
      • St. Petersburg’s Public transport: the Podorozhnik card
      • Traveling by bus through Russia (and how to buy tickets online)
    • 2.4. Car rental
      • Is it worth to rent a car in Russia? Recommendations and requirements
  • 3. Sleep and eat
    • 3.1. Accommodation in Russia
      • Accommodations in Russia: How to choose and where to make a reservation cheaply
      • Ostrovok: the best alternative to Booking.com
    • 3.2. Restaurants in Russia
      • Where to eat in Moscow: from Teremok to Café Pushkin
      • How to book a restaurant in Moscow, St. Petersburg or other Russian cities
  • 4. Destinations
    • 4.1. Moscow
      • What is the Kremlin and how to buy tickets online
      • How to use the Moscow Metro and what stations to visit
      • Shopping in Moscow: from GUM to Izmailovo market
      • Official tourist maps of Moscow (PDF)
      • Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow: tickets and guided tours
      • The Free Visit to the Lenin Mausoleum in Moscow
      • Moscow’s Troika Card: paying all public transport costs with a card
      • Where to eat in Moscow: from Teremok to Café Pushkin
      • St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. Visits, tickets and schedules
      • Russia Travel itineraries: Big capitals, the Trans-Siberian Route and the Golden Ring
      • Places to enjoy the best views of Moscow
      • How to buy tickets for the Russian circus in Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • Russian Folklore Shows in Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • Guided tours in Moscow: by foot, by bicycle, or by tour bus?
      • What to see and do in Moscow in 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 days
      • Moscow Tourist Information Offices
      • Flight Stopover in Moscow: What to See and How to Obtain a Transit Visa
      • Moscow in Space: from the Museum of Cosmonautics to the Planetarium
      • What is a Russian banya and why you should visit it
      • The Seven Sisters of Stalin of Moscow (and their secrets)
      • The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour of Moscow: you will not believe its story
      • What to see in Red Square in Moscow (and best things to do)
    • 4.2. St Petersburg
      • The Hermitage of St. Petersburg: What to see and how to avoid queues
      • Catherine’s Palace in St. Petersburg: how to buy tickets online
      • Russia Travel itineraries: Big capitals, the Trans-Siberian Route and the Golden Ring
      • How to buy tickets for the Russian circus in Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • Russian Folklore Shows in Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • The Palaces and Gardens of Peterhof, a must-go site in St. Petersburg
      • The main cathedrals of St. Petersburg: Tickets and schedules
      • Opera and ballet in St. Petersburg: Where to go and how to buy tickets
      • What to see and do in St. Petersburg in 1, 2, 3 or 4 days
      • St. Petersburg’s Public transport: the Podorozhnik card
      • The Church of the Savior in St. Petersburg: How to buy tickets and schedules
      • Saint Isaac’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg: how to buy tickets and schedules
      • What is a Russian banya and why you should visit it
    • 4.3. Trans-Siberian
      • Organizing a Trans-Siberian Train Trip
      • Russia Travel itineraries: Big capitals, the Trans-Siberian Route and the Golden Ring
      • What is a Russian banya and why you should visit it
    • 4.4. The Golden Ring of Russia
      • The Golden Ring of Russia: from Sergiyev Posad to Suzdal
    • 4.5. Veliky Novgorod
      • Trip to Veliky Novgorod: the birthplace of Russia
    • 4.6. Kazan
      • The Kazan Kremlin: it will captivate you
  • 5. Practicalities
    • 5.1. Ruble exchange and prices
      • Where is it better to change Australian dollars for rubles?
      • How to send money to Russia: WesterUnion, PayPal or TransferWise?
      • Is Russia an expensive or cheap country to travel? Tips to reduce expenses
      • How to request a VAT refund in Russia (Tax Free)
    • 5.2. Weather, health and safety
      • Is Russia a safe country for tourists? Travel tips
      • When is the best time to travel to Russia (and which clothes to wear)
      • What is a Russian banya and why you should visit it
    • 5.3. Telephone and Internet
      • How to buy a Russian SIM card for your smartphone
    • 5.4. Russian products
      • Which souvenirs to buy in Russia? From Matrioskas to Cheburashka
      • 15 maps that will give you a better insight of Russia

Services I recommend to organize a trip to Russia

In this page I will compile all the services I use and recommend to organize a trip to Russia.

1. Russian Visa

Hotels-Pro-logo-Visa-support-150x150

The cheapest and fastest way to get an invitation letter to Russia is through HotelsPro, a Russian company registered as a tour operator, whose main business is based on the issuance of letters of invitation to Russia (visa support). Through HotelsPro you can get a letter of invitation for 800 rubles (about 11 euros) in a fully automated way: http://hotels-pro.ru/order/visa-support.

 

2. Flights to Russia

Momondo logo

Momondo is the flight comparison site I use to know which are the best plans and the cheapest way to travel to Russia. The great thing about its flight search engine is that it shows airfares without charge or additional fees, and allows multipath searches.

 

3. Trains in Russia

logo_rzd

In recent years, there have emerged many intermediary private companies offering tickets for rail travel in Russia, either to make the journey from Moscow to St. Petersburg or the Trans-Siberian. However, the less expensive way to do it is precisely by avoiding intermediaries, through the official website of the national company of Russian Railways (RZD).

 

4. Accommodation in Russia

ostrovok-logoTo stay in Russia there are basically two options: hotels or apartments. Ostrovok is an excellent Russian platform (similar to Booking.com) that will allow you to book accommodation, according to your budget. On this platform you will find very good deals to stay in Russia, better than those you can find in Booking or in other platforms.

 

5. Taxi in Russia

kiwi-taxi-logo-vert-300x300

If you want to book a taxi online in advance to move from the airport to the city downtown or from any other location in Russia, an excellent option is offered by the Russian company KiwiTaxi, which allows taxi bookings not only in Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Vladivostok, etc.) but also in cities worldwide.

 

Irena Domingo

Hello, my name is Irena. I was born in Russia in 1974 during the Soviet era. I worked as a Russian teacher and as a translator and interpreter for the past 15 years. One of my main hobbies is traveling. Therefore, through this blog I want to help those people who want to travel to Russia. Read More…

Categories

  • 1. Visa
    • 1.1. Russian visa in Australia, USA and Canada
    • 1.2. Russian visa in China, Japan and India
    • 1.3. Russian visa in European countries
    • 1.4. Registration and immigration
    • 1.5. Visa to China and post-Soviet states
  • 2. Transport
    • 2.1. Arriving by plane
    • 2.2. Russian trains
    • 2.3. Metro, bus and taxi
    • 2.4. Car rental
  • 3. Sleep and eat
    • 3.1. Accommodation in Russia
    • 3.2. Restaurants in Russia
  • 4. Destinations
    • 4.1. Moscow
    • 4.2. St Petersburg
    • 4.3. Trans-Siberian
    • 4.4. The Golden Ring of Russia
    • 4.5. Veliky Novgorod
    • 4.6. Kazan
  • 5. Practicalities
    • 5.1. Ruble exchange and prices
    • 5.2. Weather, health and safety
    • 5.3. Telephone and Internet
    • 5.4. Russian products
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